Powers Meant for Parliament Have Been Given to One Powerful Individual, Says Maulana Fazlur Rehman

PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has alleged that powers that should constitutionally belong to Parliament have been handed over to an individual within the powerful establishment.

Addressing a workers’ convention in Peshawar, the JUI-F chief said he had no objection to anyone becoming the army chief, Chief of Defence Forces or field marshal. However, he termed it unfortunate that decisions falling within Parliament’s domain had been entrusted to a single powerful individual.

He said Parliament had effectively been excluded from the implementation process, while approval of future decisions had also been made conditional on the federal government.

Fazlur Rehman stressed that institutions should remain within their defined constitutional domains, arguing that Parliament was the supreme institution of the country.

آپ آرمی چیف بھی ہو، چیف آف ڈیفینس فورسز بھی ہو، فیلڈ مارشل بھی ہو اس سے ہمارا کوئی اعتراض نہیں لیکن جو اختیارات پارلیمنٹ کے ہونے چاہیے وہ مقتدرہ کے ایک آدمی کو دے دئے گئے اور مزید اگر کسی فیصلے کی ضرورت ہوگی تو وفاقی حکومت کرے گی یعنی پارلیمنٹ کو اس سے نکال دیا گیا۔ مولانا فضل… pic.twitter.com/syVDWPrOnI

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He said a government could survive even under a non-Muslim ruler if it provided justice and fairness, but a Muslim government based on oppression and injustice could not last for long.

Referring to the ongoing protest in Rawalakot, he said people had been sitting on the roads for three months, while the administration and rulers were not even willing to engage in dialogue with them.

On the debate over the creation of new provinces, Fazlur Rehman said there was currently neither preparation nor a conducive environment for establishing new provinces.

He alleged that an attempt was being made to forcibly impose the wishes of a particular institution on the country.

The JUI-F chief also claimed that the country was being governed by a minority. Criticising Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, he said the prime minister travelled abroad with the army chief because, without him, “no one would even be willing to shake hands with him.”